Sparkless grooved wheel



March 12, 1957 I H. R. NOYES SPARKLESS GROOVED WHEEL.

Filed Deo. 27, 1954 fir/, l,

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SPARKLESS AGiif'lll) HEEL Application December 27, 1954, Serial No. 477,609

1 Claim. (Cl. 301-5) The invention relates to wheels and has particular reference to wheels of a type used on trucks, dollies, and the like without application of traction force to the wheel. More particularly the invention relates to a substantially integrally formed wheel which has a tread adapted to operation on dierent types of rolling supports.

ln some m:nuiacturin(7 operations a considerable number of trucks and dollies are used for transporting materials and work over a factory floor. in some instances trucks and dollies of this description are bunt to support relatively heavy loads. An example of this is in the assembly of air frames wherein the parts are progressively assembled into one composite assembly'. Although the initial sub-assemblies may be relatively small and light in weight, as they accumulate the parts the ultimate composite assembly is often an extremely heavy piece. Convenience has dictated the mounting of these lsub-assemblies and assemblies on trucks or dollies which can be moved freely to any location in the factory licor area. Because of the fact that the transporting vehicle, namely, the truck or dolly, must ultimately sup-port a great weight, Wheels of particularly sturdy construction are requisite.

Among those wheels sought to be used for this purpose in the past have been wheels initially designed for other uses. Many such Wneel have incorporated a steel tread for supplying the necessary resistance to wear and to provide suliicient strength. Diifxculties arise in use of steel treaded wheels'because ot' the fact that they tend to create sparks as a result of friction vv lich in many factory operations are dangerous. Where resort has been had to metals which minimize sparking, the metals found usable from the point of view of strength, a minimm or sparking tendency, and in a price range permitting wide-spread use, have been such as to wear poorly, necessitating frequent and costly replacement.

lt is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved Wheel having a composite tread which makes use of properly selected materials to minimize sparking when in contact with the licor and on the other hand to provide the necessary strength and wear-r sistant qualities where the wheel can he employed on surfaces other than a iioor surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wheel of integral construction constructed preferably by casting wherein materials of entirely different characteristics are combined in the wheel in such a fashion that the individual characteristics o-f each respective material are taken advantage of under special circumstances.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wheel of ycast structure composed of combined metals of different characteristics so joined together that the w eel can be produced inexpensively without sacrice to desired sturdiness, wear-resistant characteristics and minimization of tendency to create friction sparks when rolled over a floor.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved wheel adapted to employment On different types of Wearing surfaces wherein the main 2,735,0l7 Patented Mai'. l2, 1957 portion of the wheel is cast of relatively inexpensive and somewhat soft material necessitating the provision of a wide wearing surface but wherein there is included a special band of ferrous material grooved for application to a special track and wherein the ferrous material is so lo-V cated that, despite its natural tendency7 to permit sparks: to form, the spar -ug tendency is precluded without sacriiicing the utility inherent in employment of the ferrous metal.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consiste in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

ln the drawings: v

Figure l is a longitudinal `elevational View of the device shown mounted as it would be in use.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the formation of the tread portion of the Wheel in greater detail.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing the wheel 'resting `directly on the floor.

in tL e embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration there is shown a fragment of a truck body l having a lower surface or deck l1 upon which a lshackle 12 is secured by means of bolts i3. A wheel shaft 14 retained by the shackle extends outwardly from the truck body to a location where it can receive a wheel l5. The wheel is shown riding upon a truck lo which in the eX- ample chosen has the form `of an angle-iron with legs of equal length. The angle-iron track is located on a floor 17 providing a support for the track. At the same time the floor may also support the wheel l5 when i-t is run olf the track, as illustrated Figure 4.

The wheel is essentially a cast lbody or Wheel structure which may be indicated as a structure of uniform texture and consistency e `cept for 4the inclusion therein of a tread insert lS. To avoid sparks the '-.tf'heel ystructure may be made of a castaole material such as one of the commercial thermo-setting plastics or of some relatively soft metallic substance such, for example, as one of the cornmercial alloys of aluminum. The selection of aluminum gives the wheel structure several advantageous characteristics. Aluminum alloys can be made very tough and when a surliciently broad wearing surface is provided for as represented hy a tread i9, the tread will have good wearing characteristics, The softness of the aluminum alloy is especially beneficial in that it has almost no tendency to strike sparks when rubbed frictionally upon any one of a great variety of floor surfaces whether metallic or of some aggregate mix such as concrete.

Moreover, a metallic alloy of the general character of aluminum is especially well adapted to casting. When cast it can 'be molded with considerable facility and further, because of having a melting point lower than that of iron and steel, is capable of having iron or steel insert molded into the aluminum wherein the steel will retain its form `and be firm-ly anchored in combination with the aluminum. rEherrnosetting plastic material can be similarly combined.

The wheel structure consists essentially of a hu-b 2% from which an annular rim support 2l extends radially outwardly. At the outer end lof the rim support is a rim 22 which carries the tread or tread surface 19 already referred to. The rim has an inner enlarged portion 23 which contains an annular recess 2d, the recess being provided with annular overhanging anges 25 at the end of the recess adjacent the tread 19. The tread insert i8 substantially fills the annular recess 24 and is additionally contained within the recess by the positioning of the overhanging anges 25. It has been found advantageous to form the wheel structure by casting and to cast the tread insert in the Wheel structure, thus to form the annular recess which contains the tread insert.

Prior to casting, the tread insert is provided with a substantially V-shaped groove 25, the apex of which is broken -by an opening 27 substantially circular in crosssection. It will be noted further that the rim of the wheel structure contains extensions 2S of the tl-shaped groove and further than the included angle between sides of the V-shaped groove and the extensions is slightly greater than the 90-degree angle formed by legs 29 and 30 of the angle-iron which comprises the track 16. Due to this configuration whenever the wheel structure is rolled upon the track, it will be with assurance that it is the tread insert 18 which carries the load -on the track rather than any portion -of the wheel structure. inasmuch as the tread insert is made of iron or steel, the wearing quality of the Wheel when riding on the track will be materially enhanced. At the same time Vdue to the fit of the track in the groove, there will not at this time be any likelihood of striking sparks.

For mounting the wheel on the shaft 14 there are provided conventional bearing rings 35 tting at opposite ends of a bearing recess 36 in the hub. The bearing rings are ydesigned and mounted to engage a sleeve 37 which overlies the outer end lof the shaft. A nut 38 and washer 39 serves to hold the wheel yon the shaft. Cover plates 40 may 'be employed if desired to protect the bearings.

A 'structure of the type `described permits rolling the truck body either along tracks like the track lo or upon the door surface 17. When the truck is lightly loaded and it is desirable to move the truck t-o different places on the oor surface in order to pick up the various components which will comprise its load, the tread 19 will carry the wheel upon the supporting surface. As the load accumulates and `it becomes advantageous to move the truck in a specified path, it can then be rolled upon the tracks so that the iron or steel tread insert carries lthe load of the truck to the tracks.

The wheel is one which though relatively simple in its t but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as ultimate form, nevertheless advantageously combines two metals of highly diterent characteristics in such fashion that full advantage is taken of the characteristics of each and moreover the wheel structure is so fashioned that the characteristics of one metal in combination with the to -embrace any and all equivalent devices.A

Having described my invention, what I claim as new Y loads alternatively on smooth hard surfaces and on a rail,

said Wheel comprising a non-ferrous monometallic structure yof relatively tough consistency and of sparkless castable metal and including a hub, an annular rim support extending radially outwardly from the hub and a rim on said rim support, said rim having a thick walled cylindrical shape with a cylindrical peripheral tread surface extending from edge to edge of the Wheel, an annular insert of hard Wear resistant ferrous metal cast in the rim substantially midway between said edges and at a location spaced inwardly of the tread surface, means forming an annular notch extending from the tread 4surface into said insert,V said notch having a substantially triangular shape with sides thereof converging progressively inwardly and means Iforming an annular recess at the apex of the notch, said notch `being adapted to receive a rail of corresponding angular shape and of depth exceeding the depth of the notch, said outermost end of the notch having a width less than the exposed tread surface on the rim, -said Yinsert having rounded outer rcorners and overhanging anges on said rim in snug overlying relationship with said rounded corners.

References Cited in the tile of this patentY UNITED STATES PATENTS 775,847 MoWry NOV. 22, 1904 950,500 Woods Mar. l, 1910 1,642,504 Miller Sept. 13, l927 2,541,514 Herold Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 176,372 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1922 

